Facebook Likes Can’t Make Us Feel Better Science Says

You know this moment when you take a picture so flattering that you cannot wait for your Facebook profile image to be admired and, above all, do you like it? Even though we certainly agree on your striking resemblance to Angelina Jolie, according to science, wait until people who wish to introduce themselves do you more harm than good.

For a preliminary study in 2017 by Dr. Martin Graff at the University of South Wales, 340 volunteers completed questionnaires designed to assess personality. They were also asked to rate the amount they accepted (or disagreed) with statements such as “the attention I get from social media makes me feel good” and “I consider someone popular depending on The amount of loves they get. ” The researchers then analyzed the results to determine what relationship some personality traits had with social media attitudes.

Dr. Graff’s results were very interesting. According to the press release, people who do all they can to get friends (by asking or paying) are more likely to have low self-esteem and port confidence issues. You have already deleted a publication because it has not had enough loves, or are you making a picture on your profile picture because of how many others would you like to receive? Sorry, the same goes for you. These additional approval hits do not even do much to repair the condition. “The conclusions also revealed that the appreciation of favorites did not allow people to feel better about them or make them better when they were down,” says press release.

It was a small study, but, as Dr. Graff explains, “the results indicate that the ways we interact with social media can affect how we feel and not always positively.” As pleasing as following the tastes on your new sizzling selfie, there are better ways to enhance your mood. If you want real self-esteem, try calling a friend or loved one who thinks you are the bee’s knees. If you are experiencing difficulties, try drawing, listening to music or walking in nature, or even around the block. Feelings seem to be the way to happiness, but as research shows, they are an impasse.